KLM to reinvent World Business Cabin

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has asked leading Dutch designer Hella Jongerius to revitalize its World Business Class cabin interior across the fleet. This will enable KLM to modernize its WBC product, uniting international allure with top Dutch design to emphasize a sense of pride in our Dutch heritage.

“By choosing to work with Hella Jongerius, KLM is opting to engage a top Dutch designer to help make our Business Class passengers feel at home on board,” said Erik Varwijk, managing director-KLM. “As a designer, Hella has broad experience which she can apply to the needs of KLM and its customers, in accordance with the specific requirements for cabin interiors in the airline industry. Her previous projects demonstrate her ability to process such criteria into top-quality designs such as the ‘polder sofa,” which is both comfortable and beautiful. With her expertise and focus on quality, she is keenly aware of what makes a brand unique. An outstanding match!”

The designed cabins will be debuted onboard KLM’s 747-400 fleet in June 2013.

Personal Opinion
This is fantastic news, as KLM’s international business class offering has long been lacking in comfort and space compared to some of its European counterparts, and whilst the touches such as the Delft Houses are still great to set them apart, the hard product has needed some work for a while. It would be great if Hella is working with a design team who understand the aviation product. Whilst the design studio Jongeriuslab has produced some really cutting edge Dutch work, it’s hard to see how the work will translate into a comfortable and professional business class suite.